Cottage in the city

Get the look with panelling and a nature-inspired palette

When I look at the above photo from a young family's summer home that we decorated on the show, I can imagine the entire space transplanted into an urban condo. The floors would probably be dark hardwood or concrete and the walls would be painted drywall, but everything else could stay the same.

Photograph by: Virginia Macdonald
, National Post

Summer style is not just for the cottage. I've been receiving lots of messages lately asking how to bring the easy and carefree look of summer homes to the city. When I was asked to host Summer Home on HGTV, I wondered if it would be a problem that I'm a city girl. My designs, however, were described to me as having a cottage vibe. I never really thought of my style as being summery or countrified, though I do recall my brother telling someone "Sam loves beat-up old country stuff from the garbage." OK, I do love a curbside find, but I always refurbish what I bring home. I have to admit though, looking around my living room now, if there were a tongueand-groove backdrop (whitewashed of course), all my furniture would work.

Similarly, when I look at the above photo from a young family's summer home that we decorated on the show, I can imagine the entire space transplanted into an urban condo. The floors would probably be dark hardwood or concrete and the walls would be painted drywall, but everything else could stay the same.

Summer style has a fresh, airy feeling and it's relaxed. In the country, we don't care if everything isn't perfect. When it comes to pulling together the perfect imperfect room, there are definitely conventions that can help you bring summer style to your city or country home.

In every space I work on, I like to use old furniture, especially when it has sentimental value. The mid-century modern chairs were part of the family's original cottage decor. There was concerns the clean lines of the chairs didn't feel like they belonged in the country. But country furniture doesn't have to look like granny's old wicker rocker. All the mid-mod chairs needed was fresh leafy green upholstery.

Modern works in the woods (and in your city home if you're trying to make it look like the woods) but precious and delicate furnishings don't. Bigbox store furniture can take a beating and looks super when paired with a few custom pieces. Steer clear of anything that's disposable or that you plan on having for just a couple years. I've had my Ikea Stockholm sofa for five years and it's still going strong. The sofa, island and floor lamp (in the photo) are from Ikea, but the space doesn't feel like a showroom because of the mix of custom pieces such as the ikat upholstered ottoman, and the wool rug. We customized the white, store-bought drapes with bands of green fabric on the bottom. Any time you put your own spin on mass-market purchases, you elevate their look.

Another way to bring a summer breeze into your urban abode is with a palette taken from the great outdoors. Our space is a mix of lakeside blues, sunshiney yellows, leafy greens and plenty of white. A white backdrop will always make a country or city home feel summery and fresh. In my early magazine days, I learned that white space on a page allows a photo to breathe; white walls do the same thing for furniture, fabrics and art. A fail-proof shade of white you ask? Sarah Richardson's Cotton (SR15) for Para Paints is the perfect white - it's not stark nor overly yellow. We also painted the ceiling in Sarah's Robin's Egg (SR17). Using pale blue on a ceiling is like painting a sky above your living room.

In terms of finishes, if it's natural, use it. Butcher block, stone or man-made surfacing material that looks like stone will bring the outdoors inside.

And lastly, texture: The country isn't a perfectly smooth place. Woven wicker blinds, sea grass rugs, raw wood, and, yep, stuff that looks like someone's beat-up trash will give your city and country home depth and character.

Mid-century modern chairs were recovered in fresh green to make them suitable for the cottage.

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When I look at the above photo from a young family's summer home that we decorated on the show, I can imagine the entire space transplanted into an urban condo. The floors would probably be dark hardwood or concrete and the walls would be painted drywall, but everything else could stay the same.

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